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Oregon's offensive struggles are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. The Ducks still have talent. They still have playmakers. But there is a growing difference between an offense that accumulates yards and one that consistently imposes its will on a defense. The problem may come down to two connected issues: the disappearance of explosive plays and a running game that no longer produces at the level Oregon fans have come to expect. Remember When Oregon Could Break a Game Open? Oregon's offense has historically been dangerous because of its ability to turn an ordinary play into an extraordinary gain. A five-yard run could become a 50-yard touchdown. A routine pass could turn into a long completion because a receiver found space after the catch. Defenses had to account for the possibility that any mistake could result in six points. That explosiveness was particularly evident in 2025. By late November, Oregon was tied for first nationally with 77 offensive plays of at least 20 yards. The Ducks were not simply moving the football; they were consistently creating game-changing opportunities. And the ground game was a major part of the equation. Oregon finished 2025 averaging 198.6 rushing yards per game and 5.4 yards per carry. In 2024, 157.9 yards per game and 4.4 yards per carry. That is the kind of rushing production that forces a defense to make difficult decisions. Load the box to stop the run, and you create opportunities for the passing game. Protect against the pass, and a talented running back can make you pay. When both elements are working, an offense becomes incredibly difficult to defend. The 2026 Running Game Is a Different Story Through five games in 2026, Oregon has averaged 141.8 rushing yards per game and 4.3 yards per carry. Those numbers are down substantially from last season. However, these statistics don't tell the whole story as Oregon's 84–0 victory over Portland State significantly boosts its season averages, so even those figures may paint a more favorable picture than the offense's recent performances warrant. The UCLA game offered a particularly troubling example. Oregon managed just 73 rushing yards and 272 total yards. The Ducks converted only one of 12 third-down opportunities. This was not simply a matter of failing to finish drives. Oregon struggled to sustain them in the first place. So, here is the question: Are the Ducks struggling to run the football because they cannot create explosive plays, or are they struggling to create explosive plays because the running game is no longer forcing defenses to respect it? Oregon's offensive identity should not depend on one quarterback, one running back, or one receiver. Personnel changes happen. Injuries happen. Good defenses take away a team's favorite options. But the broader question remains: Can Oregon consistently establish the run, create explosive plays, and sustain drives when its first option is unavailable or a defense takes away its preferred matchup? Against UCLA, the answer was no. The Ducks did not have a drive longer than 27 yards until the fourth quarter. By then, the offense was chasing the game. That is what makes the performance so concerning. An offense that cannot sustain drives puts tremendous pressure on its defense and leaves itself with little margin for error. Oregon needs to generate more consistent early-down rushing production, create explosive plays without relying on broken coverages, and put its quarterbacks in manageable third-down situations. It also needs to identify whether the problem lies in blocking, play design, execution, or some combination of all three. Most importantly, the coaching staff needs to determine whether the current offensive approach is generating favorable matchups or allowing defenses to dictate the terms of engagement. The numbers suggest a meaningful decline in rushing efficiency from 2025. The UCLA game demonstrated just how ugly the results can become when Oregon cannot run effectively, sustain possessions, or convert third downs. The Ducks need to rediscover what made their offense so difficult to defend: the ability to make a defense pay for its decisions. A productive running game creates opportunities for explosive passes. Explosive passing makes the running game more dangerous. Together, they create an offense capable of controlling a game rather than merely trying to survive each possession. Right now, Oregon has too many questions and too few convincing answers. The Ducks have work to do. The question is whether they can fix the underlying problem before it costs them more games.

That feeling that Ducks fans are experiencing right now of extreme disappointment and completely wasting talent……..Just remember, USC fans have felt like that for about 15 years now. Maybe I should be a little nicer to them. 🤣

If it's not Dante on Saturday, I think we definitely should go with the local kid from Sheldon High School. After all, Sheldon High has been rather good to the Ducks throughout the years, including a couple fairly-decent QBs by the names of Chris Miller & Justin Herbert. Maybe Brock is just a slightly later bloomer.

USC's opponents combined BIG record 1-9 (The one win was OBD against them) OBD's opponents combined BIG record 6-1 (The one loss was USC against them)

It's so much deeper than offensive coordinator at this point. Quarterback coaching is atrocious. Moore declined and in two weeks Raiola was just not ready for the game against UCLA???? What??? Offensive line is a mess... I know coach Terry pulled it together the last two years but maybe the luck and magic ran out. Or maybe it was a complete and total failure of roster talent evaluation. Either way... Unacceptable. New tight end coach.... Don't think the tight ends stood out too much last game. Whether they were blocking or running routes they just weren't there. Because the blocking schemes were pretty awful and awfully executed on the whole and the passing game was gone along with run game. Yeah... The OC didn't game plan well or call plays well enough and I think we have enough of a track record to point there too... But it goes so much deeper than just the OC.

Deservedly so. Nebraska looked better than UCLA.

I'd suggest the Husker fans try traveling 3 time zones and playing a body-clock 9 AM game. Then get back to us, followed by them shutting their yaps.

Maybe the USC game was an aberration? USC’s defense is not good and perhaps coming off the bench reduced the expectations/pressure on him. The entire team was fired up after the cheap shot on DM. Word out of spring ball was Dylan Riola was not good. He reportedly improved in the fall. I’m not sure which Riola is the real one. It’s most likely somewhere between the USC and UCLA performances but I’ve seen enough to know that I would not feel comfortable with Oregon’s chances next year to make the playoffs, if he is the presumptive starter.

Whatever the reason it was coaching malpractice to start him in the 2nd half.

This is not remotely meant to be sarcastic, but the poor kid was so far off, is there a chance he was ill and didn't say anything? I think the likelihood of that is quite low, but he was just miles and miles so far off of his game that I feel like the question is not all that unreasonable... Because we all know that the kid can flat out play ball. How he led the Ducks in such difficult circumstances against USC, and played, proved that.

There's a rather good reason it looks like that ;-)

Thanks for the @ Oregon correction. If Dante is back and 80+% healthy, I think we win that game. After seeing our D hold what had been a rather high powered UCLA offense to 17 points, I'm rather confident that given Nebraska does not have a big passing game, our Defense will do their part again this week.

I suspect NIL issues are central to this conundrum. As others on this forum have mentioned, dealing with paid players (some much more lucratively than others) is entirely new for college coaches, and creates a whole new set of issues to work out. (Like, "Why is the guy next to me on the o-line making double what I'm making?" or, "Why is he rich and I'm broke?") Compound this with new coordinators on both sides of the ball, and you have a recipe for an overwhelmed coaching staff. Anyway, that's my opinion for what might be going on with the offensive line play—that and the fact that most of OBD o-linemen look weak, slow, and unmotivated. Go Ducks.

Geoff Schwartz was talking about the O-line on his Sunday morning radio show. Essentially he said every play on offense there was at least one mental error/missed assignment. He indicated the coaches were frustrated during the game because as soon as they pulled someone for screwups, someone else would screw up. It wasn't like they could fix the problem by pulling one guy who was having a bad game. So, who is responsible for the mental discipline of individual players when apparently so many of them were having screwups?

Head coach Kirby Smart is 1-3 vs Alabama in the regular season. That's 4 games played in 11 seasons. The SEC - It Just Means More.

Bill Orems three takeaways https://www.oregonlive.com/ducks/2026/10/bill-orams-three-takeaways-from-no-13-oregons-17-15-loss-to-no-21-ucla.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawU4t7pleHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mBWJyaWQRMWRKUXZPNU5DelVUeVdoNnhzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeimDlKVXG1Rbv76NpViidMqQrMFAcEbeH1_q-ZLLpKLCJ-DOoZu3JINqj8mg_aem_s3Gxhn7DSunnlcbQdzaJEw

Wasn't there a heavy turnover from last year, thus a lack of experience and, from that, a lack of unity?

Read it. Briefly weep. Don't lose sleep. Beat the bleep out of the Huskers!

It Never Rains in Autzen Stadium, but on occasion, it rains turnovers.😒 7 - You don't turn the ball over 7 times and win football games. 5-1 Nebraska visits Autzen Saturday as the favorite, -6.5. Last time Oregon wasn't favored at home? I do not know. --- 31 and 22 - Indiana scores two TDs in the last 12 minutes in Lincoln to extend its winning streak to 22 games. Nebraska drops its 31st straight game to ranked opponents. Brilliant call on Nick Marsh's winning TD. A jumbo O-line package with Marsh hiding in the mix and uncovered by the Nebraska D. A TCU transfer at QB throws the winning TD to a transfer from Michigan State. Cig is now 33-2 at Indiana. --- Bob Chesney followed Cig's model; 10 James Madison players followed him to LA. 4-1 Wisconsin visits the undefeated Bruins this Saturday, possibly the most difficult opponent left on UCLA's schedule, a schedule that resembles Indiana's schedule in Cig's first season at Bloomington. Playoffs? --- Dilly and his Kentucky Wildcats set a record on Saturday. The first CFB team to win back-to-back OT games by 1 point. L$U's Lane Kiffin is now 0-2 on the road in the SEC. Kentucky, although the Tide has the tie-breaker. is tied for 2nd place in the SEC! --- Behind backup QB Jackson Brousseau, Cal hands 4-2 VA Tech and James Franklin the second loss of the season. The OC Tosh hired has been relieved of his play-calling duties. --- Texas A&M and QB Marcel Reed are lost without OC Colin Klein, now the HC at K-State. Texas' Arch Manning continues his far-from-Golden-Archie play at Texas. Two interceptions. The last one with 19 seconds left on a ball that should have been tossed into the stands. Expensive rosters do not ipso facto guarantee success.🥸 --- Iowa visits Seattle for the first time in 63 seasons and puts up 41 points on UW. Is Oregon State the best football team in the Pacific Northwest? --- . Rowboat sunk - 3-3 Purdue 41 - 4-2 Minnesota 13 . Go for 2 in the 1st OT - Worked for Will but not for Fitz - 3-3 Illinois 38 - 2-4 - Michigan State 37 . 5-1 Ohio State played with its food in the rain before defeating 2-4 Maryland, 45-16 Ohio State may have been looking ahead to next week's B1G blockbuster in Bloomington. Indiana had better practice pass defense and tackling. . The guy brought in to win the B1G games at Penn State is now 0-3 vs. the Big Ten. Huge road win for SC and Lincoln Riley. 6-1 USC 31 - 3-3 Penn State 23. . 4-1 Northwestern and its fans had a Ball - NW 45 - Ball State 14 --- GAME of the Week - No. 1 - 6-0 Georgia 20 - 5-1 Alabama 17 Hats off to Kirby Smart! UGA's first win in Tuscaloosa since 2007, and Kirby is 0-2 vs. his nemesis in the last two games. Can someone please tell me what degree of assault has to be committed for pass interference to be called in 2026? Put the Hurt on the Huskers!

Being unranked we stay out of the ESPN spotlight which I think is a very good thing for now.

Raiola, after pinpointing passes again USC, could not hit the broad side of a barn yesterday. How a guy with his talent played that way is unexplainable. Dante, even healthy, has problems when pressured and lacks some aggressiveness. Both QB's are talented. The bottom line to me, I suspect this team is loaded with talent but has some really lousy coaching. For a program that is looking for a NC to obtain blue blood elite status....it is a shame because these type teams don't come every year. 7 turnovers.....seriously!

UCLA at #12 Oregon MIA AP College Football Poll 2026 Week 7 Rankings Released wi...Georgia is the new overwhelming choice for the top spot in the Associated Press Top 25 poll following a chaotic Saturday of action.

How could they look SO much worse than they looked against suc?

Talk about a double gut punch to the stomach. I was trying to get over the fact that Coach Altman suddenly announced his retirement and now this. This is the type of game that can get a team to unravel very quickly. Hope that Coach Lanning can turn this around soon. If not, this team will circle the drain with no stopping in sight. This also has implications for next season, too. If the losing continues, will recruits reopen their commitments? For all practical purposes, Oregon is playing in a bowl game this year. They are not going to run the table and make it to the CFP. Speaking of, would Duck fans like to see a 24 team CFP now? The Ducks would still have a chance for the playoffs even with this latest defeat.

I hate to say it but with all the non mathing math, it feels like the coaching staff is just cashing checks and mailing it in. It also feels like the highly paid NIL guys are doing the same. With NIL not being tied to actual performance, this has always been the danger in this scenario. Three out of four of Oregon's next games will be against two dangerous up and coming teams (Nebraska and Northwestern) and an old school road grader (tOSU). Things could get real ugly fast.